Officer saves man’s life at Summerfest

A Shawano police officer was recognized Aug. 14 for his lifesaving efforts at Summerfest a couple of months ago in Milwaukee. Mequon Frechette was off duty on June 26 when he attended a Tyler Childers concert with his family. According to Shawano Police Chief Bradley Rabideau, someone three rows ahead of Frechette called out for someone to call 911 after a man fell and lost consciousness, and the officer sprang into action. “Mequon responded, without hesitation, and quickly determined that the man did not have a pulse,” Rabideau said prior to presenting Frechette with a letter of commendation at the Shawano Common Council meeting. “Mequon initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, on the man.” Several minutes passed as Frechette performed CPR, and emergency medical staff arrived on the scene, according to Rabideau, at which point the man had a pulse. “We know that every minute someone goes down without CPR, the survival rate drops by 10%,” Rabideau said. “Mequon saved the man’s life that day and remained calm during a critical incident. Mequon’s response after the incident was to return to his seat and enjoy the concert — a true, humble individual.” Rabideau noted that while Frechette’s actions were admirable, Shawano can expect to find that “quality officers” can be found in most of the Shawano Police Department and are “willing to serve and protect on and off duty.” “Mequon exemplifies the core values of the Shawano Police Department and is commended for his actions and service to the community,” Rabideau said. Mayor Bruce Milavitz said that Frechette’s behavior as a police officer is excellent, no matter what he does. “You just never know when you’re going to be called,” Milavitz said. lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com